Design, Development, and Performance Analysis of Coupled Inductor-Based Bidirectional DC-DC Converter for Storage Systems

This article presents a coupled-inductor and voltage multipliers high-gain bidirectional DC–DC converter (CVBDC), designed for storage interface applications. The proposed topology utilizes a coupled inductor along with voltage multipliers to realize a voltage conversion ratio of 8 in boost operation and 1/8 in buck operation. Additionally, a method for analysing the theoretical aspects of bidirectional DC-DC converters is presented in a generalized and simplified manner, making it applicable to similar topologies. The proposed topology has inherent capability for zero-voltage turn-ON (ZVT) of all the switches. This feature significantly reduces switching losses and enhances overall efficiency. The design incorporates a clamping network that recycles leakage energy from the coupled inductor, thereby reduces energy loss and improving performance. This clamping network also reduces voltage stress across the switching devices. The equivalent circuit model that includes parasitic elements of the topology facilitates calculation of voltage gain in both buck as well as boost operating modes, providing valuable insights into the performance of the converter. To validate the theoretical analysis, simulations are performed using SIMetrix/SIMPLIS SPICE and MATLAB/Simulink platforms and subsequently verified through hardware experiments.